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Friday, 19 August 2016

Audi Vehicles to Talk to U.S. Traffic Signals in First for Industry

Audi Technology – Vehicles to Coordinate with Traffic Signals

Audi, the German manufacturer is developing a technology which would enable its vehicles in the United States to coordinate with traffic signals, permitting a more stress-free trip, which is said to be the first commercial use of the nascent technology in the car industry. Audi of America, owned by Volkswagen has handpicked 2017 Q7 and A4 models built after June 1, 2016 to be furnished with its vehicle-to-infrastructure technology.

Recognized as `V-to-I’, in the industry, the technology enables traffic signals together with the other infrastructure to interchange safety accompanied with other operational data, wirelessly to vehicles through the cloud. Ultimate applications of the technology that tends to continue for testing across the globe by manufacturers as well as transportation agencies would be beneficial in mitigating crashes thus dropping jamming on highways and roads.

Pom Malhotra, general manager of the connected vehicles division of Audi had commented that this is their foray into V-I and this is designed not as a safety feature but a comfort and convenience feature. Malhotra states that the system of Audi permits the vehicle to exhibit a countdown before a red light tends to turn to green and being aware of how much time one has before the light could change to green could relieve much of the apprehension of waiting.

Traffic Line Information – New Line of Ground-Breaking Connected Car

The countdown also tends to display on the dashboard if the vehicle decides that it would not be capable of making an approaching light before turning to red, to enable the drive to apply the brake. On waiting for the red light to turn to green, the display tends to disappear a few seconds before it turns to green, compelling the driver to be aware of the intersection and regulate when it is safe to go ahead, informs Malhotra.

Traffic light information seems to be the new line of ground-breaking connected car improvement by Audi. Audi had been the first manufacturer in 2010, to provide a broadband enabled vehicle and since then, Audi connect tends to continue to enlarge on its industry leading services and potentials. Towards 2014, it had been the first manufacture to provide 4G/LTE Broadband connectivity.

Planned partnership as well as proprietary scalable infotainment architecture has enabled Audi to constantly provide its customers with the latest in solutions to mobile connectivity. An executive has informed that the future applications of the technology could envisage it to be linked to the navigation system of the car or its stop/start roles.

Manufacturer’s Efforts to Leverage Technology

Another possibility is that the traffic signals could direct the vehicle to maintain a certain speed to match the flow of traffic lights. Audi intends to roll out the competence this year, in five to seven U.S cities with cities to be switched on one by one.

The company has not revealed which of the cities would be the first. The manufacturers of car have been making efforts to leverage technology inclusive of vehicle-to-vehicle communications – `V- to –V’, enabling vehicles to talk to each other, in order to decrease accidents and to improve overcrowding. Organizing such types of schemes could be challenging since both V-to-I and V-to-V technologies tend to need safe communication infrastructure as well as close assistance with municipalities together with transportation agencies.

The President of Audi of America, Scott Keogh had stated that `continuous innovation in connected car services as well as advanced driver assistance systems which enriches and improves the customer experience is at the core of the Audi brand and our collective future.